Cavity brick



une 2, 1936. J. J, HNE ET AL 2,042,992

CAVITY BRICK Filed Nov. 2l, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 2,'1936. 1 HlNE ET AL A CAVITY BRICK Filed Nov. 21', 1934 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE C'AVITY BRICK Application November 21, 1934, Serial No. 754,094 In Great Britain November 23, 1933 2 Claims.

Our present invention relates to a cavity brick for building purposes. Cavity bricks have heretofore been proposed each consisting of three longitudinal or stretcher elements joined by a plurality of transverse webs so that between adjacent pairs of longitudinal or stretcher elements a number of cavities occur, one end of the centre longitudinal element having a projecting tongue and the other end a corresponding recess to provide an interlocking device. Likewise boX section tubular limbs have heretofore been proposed in which the upper walls have relative small air holes and the side and upper walls are projected in a stepped manner at the ends to provide an interlocking device. Tubular bricks are expensive to mould and also do not provide adequate openings for ventilation in the Vertical direction, it being well known that as much freedom as possible to the upward passage of air within the wall is desired. At the same time it is desirable to provide passages in the horizontal direction in a cavity wall, and the object of this invention is to provide a cavity brick which will satisfy both of these desiderata and yet is cheap to manufacture.

With the foregoing objects in view our cavity brick comprises three spaced parallel longitudinal or stretcher bars terminating at each end in a common vertical plane and two pairs of relatively short webs forming the sole means of integrally joining the three longitudinal bars, one pair of said webs being disposed at one end of the brick and projecting beyond the ends of the longitudinal bars at such end, and the other pair of webs being spaced within the ends of the said bars at the other end of the brick to provide an interlocking device, the said webs being recessed in the longitudinal direction to provide longitudinal air passages communicating with the cavities between the spaced bars.

In order that our invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we have appended hereto two sheets of drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof and where- 1n:-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a brick as employed for erecting the predominating area of a Wall.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view from one end of said brick showing grouting grooves in one side thereof.

Fig. 3 is an inverted perspective View of the some brick from the other end.

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views showing respectively bricks for left hand and right hand half courses or for the ends of walls, and

Fig. 6 shows in perspective a corner assembly of the bricks.

Referring to the drawings the brick shown is suitable for use in the construction of walls and more particularly in the erection of houses and other buildings requiring cavity walls. The brick consists of a one-piece body moulded or otherwise shaped and composed of any suitable material and it can be of any suitable dimensions. The preferred arrangement is that the dimension in the longitudinal direction which contains three stretcher bars I, 2 and 3 is the maximum dimension of the brick, e. g. constitutes the stretcher of the brick. The dimension transverse thereto i. e. the width of the brick is preferably nine inches so that by laying these bricks upon each other with the edges of the bars I, 2 and 3 of adjacent bricks abutting against each other, a wall of nine inches in thickness is obtained. However, these dimensions may be varied. The stretcher bars I, 2 and 3 have moulded or otherwise formed integral with them webs 4 which space the bars I, 2 and 3 to provide cavities 5. For the type of brick which is employed for the predominating portion of a wall the cavities 5, as will be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, extend nearly the full length of the brick so that quite a large area of cavity is provided in a wall. When the bricks are superimposed the cavities will communicate vertically with each other in the horizontal or lateral directions by forming depressions 6 in the webs 4 so that air will pass freely from the cavities of one brick to those of adjacent bricks.

To ensure a rigid and readily erected construction of wall it is preferred to arrange the webs 4 so that they also constitute a means of interlocking the bricks. For this purpose the webs 4 at one end of the brick project as at 4a beyond such end of the brick to an extent corresponding substantially with the dimension which the webs 4 are stepped inside the other end of the brick to provide recesses 4b. By this means interlocking protuberances and recesses are provided on the bricks and it is preferred to taper the protuberances 4m as indicated at 4c and to correspondingly flare the recesses 4h as indicated at 4d.

It is preferred not only to ensure adequate interlocking of the bricks in the longitudinal direction but also to obtain an efficient binding of the bricks by means of grouting grooves I formed along the outer bars I and 3 and if desired along the inner bar 2. These grouting grooves can be only provided on one face of the brick as shown, or on both upper and lower faces and they serve the same purpose as the frogs in existing bricks.

Where it is required to end a course, half bricks may be provided, these bricks being useful for half courses and as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 consist of symmetrical or opposed members, an end of one of which has the protuberances 4a and an end of the other of which has the recesses 4b, the other ends being at.

By means of the present invention a highly strong yet eflicient cavity formed of brick is provided by means of which a complete cavity wall can be erected by a single thickness of brick, thereby obviating the necessity for staples or ties and the additional labour appropriate to laying two spaced courses.

We claim:-

1. The hereinbefore described cavity brick comprising essentially a brick moulded in the form of three parallel spaced longitudinal stretcher parts connected and spaced by two pairs only of intermediate integral webs located near the ends of the brick to provide two parallel cavities extending along nearly the full length of the brick, all of said webs being recessed at their upper and lower edges in the longitudinal direction of the brick, said webs projecting beyond one end of the brick and being stepped or spaced inwardly from the other end of the brick to provide recesses and projections for interlocking adjacent bricks, the projecting webs having tapered front or free ends and the ends of the said three longitudinal or stretcher parts being tapered where they extend beyond the inwardly spaced webs.

2. A cavity brick for use with the brick as claimed in claim 1 in half course work ends of walls and like purposes comprising a one piece body, two parallel longitudinal slots in said body, a flat closed end to said body and a pair of webs at the other end of said body closing the other end of said slots so that the said slots extend from said at closed end to said webs without interruption, recesses in said webs for endwise air circulation, said webs being shaped at one end of the brick to interengage with correspondingly shaped go end part of another cavity brick.

JAMES JOSEPH HINE. WALTER ANGELO FOX-STRANGWAYS. 

